Councilman Arrested on Suspicion of Drug Possession

PERRIS – Perris City Councilman Julio Rodriguez was arrested today on suspicion of drug possession after he allegedly called authorities to a hotel to report a theft.

Rodriguez, 28, was arrested around 7:30 a.m. after he summoned authorities to a hotel in the 500 block of Redlands Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies who responded to the hotel found Rodriguez, who ”displayed symptoms consistent with being under the influence of a controlled substance,” according to the Sheriff’s Department. He was placed under arrested, and deputies searched the hotel room, finding drug paraphernalia and a small amount of methamphetamine, sheriff’s officials said.

Rodriguez was booked on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $5,000.

Rodriguez was elected to the Perris City Council in 2012, and he sits on the Riverside Transportation Agency Board of Directors.